Sackville S^{t <1>}
Monday

My dear Henry

Papa ^<2> is going on well, but his progress is very slow, which the doctors say we must expect it will be for some time – He sleeps a great deal which helps to restore his strength, & yesterday he eat [sic] some boiled chicken which seemed to succeed very well – He told me just now to read him the newspaper Caroline ^<3> expects L^d Valletort ^<4> about the end of this week – & Bimbo ^<5> he has been very busy down there with L^d Eliot’s committee – It seems some of them wanted him to stand for Devonport – which he resisted. Uncle John ^<6> is to come in for Dorset in M^r Ponsonby’s ^<7> place – & Henry ^<8> for Calne ^<9> – Is it true that M^r Neild ^<10> is to stand for N. Wiltshire? I pity you for being on the grand Jury but if it is no hotter there than it is here you will not suffer much from that – yesterday it was quite cold & to-day very pleasantly cool Caroline meant to have answered your letter to-day but as she is engaged at the painter’s this morn^g I have written instead – I am glad to hear you think of visiting us again – I hope we shall be less dismal than when you were here last, & more able to enjoy your society Love to Constance –

Y^r aff^te sister
Horatia –

D^r Seymour ^<11> has taken his leave to-day which is a very good sign – Mama ^<12> begs you will not have the lock picked on any account as Uncle Harry ^<13> can do without the map

---

Notes:

1. 31 Sackville Street, London residence of the Feildings, often used as a London base by WHFT.

2. Rear Admiral Charles Feilding (1780–1837), Royal Navy; WHFT’s step-father.

3. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.

4. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3^rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797–1861), WHFT’s brother-in-law.

5. William Henry Edgcumbe, ‘Val’, 4^th Earl Mt Edgcumbe (1832–1917), JP & Ld Steward of the Royal Household; WHFT’s nephew ‘Bimbo’.

6. John George Charles Fox Strangways (1803–1859), MP; sat for Dorset from July 1837 to 1841.

7. William Francis Spencer Ponsonby (1787–1855), politician; sat for Dorsetshire from 1832 until 1837.

8. Henry Fitzmaurice, Lord Shelburne, 4^th Marquess of Lansdowne (1816–1866), MP.

9. Calne, Wiltshire, 5 mi NE of Lacock.

10. Misspelling for Joseph Neeld (1789–1856), MP & botanist.

11. See Doc. No: 03521.

12. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.

13. Henry Stephen Fox Strangways, 3^rd Earl of Ilchester (1787–1858).